November 05, 2007

A Day in the Life

Sleepless in Salt LakeIt was one of those restless nights where I made the rounds not once but continually through the night. It must have been something we ate for bedtime snack. I’d just get under the covers only to jump up and run to another stirring boy calling out in the night for comfort. As the morning approached I dared hoped for just an hour or two of uninterrupted sleep before the alarm clocks and rays of light along with little ones climbing into bed begun. I flipped the cover over me with my feet sticking out anticipating another plea for their mommy and sure enough I heard my name ring through the still of the night. As I yet again rustled the covers back and hoisted my tired body up and out of bed Cameron mumbled, “Don’t worry I’ll take care of things in here” and then rolled back over deep in sleep.

You Know WhoThe doorbell rang just as I finally got everyone in their bed. I bellowed, “NO body move, I’ll get it, everyone-stay-in-your-beds. I ran down stairs wondering who in the world it could be. It was “the guy we rent from”. He had some papers for us. When I shut the door I heard a little voice come around the corner and down the stairs. “Who’s that mom? Who is it?”, Everest asked. “the guy we rent from”, I replied with exhaustion.“Who”, he asks again.“The Guy We Rent From, now go get in bed, I'll be up in a minute.” Came my reply.I hear an echo of curious whispers “Who was it? Who was at the door?”. “Riley Wrench Brown”, Everest whispers. “who?”, the brothers asked puzzled.“Riley Wrench Brown”, Everest repeats as if they should know.Wondering myself, who’s Riley Wrench Brown? Then I chuckled when I realized mumbled and muffled with exhaustion ‘the guy we rent from’ translates into Riley Wrench Brown.

Self DiagnosisCameron and I were going out of town and the boys were going to stay with their grandparents. The plan was that they’d go to school and then granny would pick them up and take them to her house. Neither school age boys liked the idea and were already scheming up ways to stay home. While I was finishing packing my bags, Edison staggers into the room in his ‘jammies’ with a hand clasped over his forehead. In a poor pathetic voice he manages to sputter out, “I don’t think I can go to school, I have a hot temper”

Road MannersOn our way up the mountain for a family campout, we were all packed to the brim in our car. Driving up the hot, dry, desolate and winding road, Isaac politely inquires, “may I be excused, I don’t like this so much?”

What's a Boy To Do?Hudson in desperate need of something but couldn’t figure it out himself let alone anyone else know what he wanted. Every time he asked for something he would request something different. Edison amused at this looked up at me while giggling and said, “he keeps trading his mind”.

A Jedi Can Do Anything He WantsTrying to get all the boys in bed. Cameron said to Hudson, “ Hudson show us how good you are at getting in bed”. He likes knowing he’s a big boy and can get in and out of bed himself. He replied, “no”. I asked him if he was a little boy, he said, “no”, so I asked, “well then you are a big boy?” . Knowing he’d have to get into bed if he were a big boy insisted, “no, not a big boy”. “Well what are you then?” I asked him. “Yoda!”